The description of art in this section is not, and should not be interpreted to be, an admission that such art is prior art to the concepts discussed herein. Conventional electronic audio effects and output devices are introduced below, for the reader's convenience. Then, the concept of wireless remote control is explained in the subsequent section. Finally, some known attempts to provide remote control of audio effects are discussed, along with their relative pros and cons.
Conventional Audio Effects
The following definitions help to provide context for a preferred application of the remote sensing and control technology, that is to say, for control of electronic audio effects devices.
Effects Units
Today, there is a variety of analog and digital signal processing (DSP)-based audio effects that are available for musicians to apply to the sound of their instruments. These include reverb, delays, echo, flangers, phasors, Wah-Wah, pitch shifters, harmonizors, distortion, and others. These effects come packaged in various forms, such as Stomp Boxes (single effects units with built in foot operated bypass switches), rack-mounted multi-effects units, and floor-board multi-effects units. Guitar amplifiers frequently have an optional footswitch to switch amp channels between clean and overdrive. Some amplifiers such as those used for guitars come with built in effects.
Preset
A preset is a stored configuration of operating parameters of a musical electronics device, which the operator may recall for future use. Typically, a device has a built-in, factory-supplied collection of presets, and allows the operator to define and store a user-defined collection, as well. For example, in a multi-effect unit, Preset 1 might apply reverb to the sound; Preset 2 might apply the Wah-Wah effect.
Foot Switches
A popular means of turning an effect off (audio bypass) and on is to use a footswitch. Stomp Boxes come with a built-in foot switch for this purpose. Multi-effect units have multiple footswitches for switching more than one effect. Some effect units have one or more ¼-inch phone jack inputs that accept a footswitch. A Foot Switch can operate in one of two ways—momentary and toggle. A momentary switch closes an electrical connection when depressed, and opens the connection when released. A toggle switch toggles between open and closed with each subsequent depression.
Expression Pedals
Many effects have attributes that can be modulated through an expression controller. Wah-Wah effect, volume swells, pitch shift, and delay are examples. Expression controllers are available in several types, including ribbon controllers, joysticks, and expression pedals. Expression pedals are most commonly comprised of an analog potentiometer mounted to a foot-operated treadle. Some use optical electronics, rather than potentiometers. Moving the treadle with the foot changes the desired attribute of an effect. The connection between the pedal and the effect unit may be an analog ¼-inch phone cord or a MIDI connection.
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
Rather than representing musical sound directly, MIDI transmits information about how music is produced. The command set includes note-on, note-off, key velocity, pitch bend, and other methods of controlling a synthesizer. It has also come to be used as a means of controlling musical effects using a subset of the MIDI message set, including Program Change messages and Continuous Controller messages (see below).
MIDI Program Change Message
A Program Change Message is one of the MIDI commands that can be used to control effects. A Program Change message can be used for many purposes including the selection of a Preset on a multi-effect unit or switching amplifier channels on a guitar amplifier.
MIDI Continuous Controller Message
A Continuous Controller Message (CC Message) is another MIDI command that can be used for the control of effects. The message format includes a Controller Number and Expression Value. It is used to pass expression controller values to effect units for effects control. One example is a potentiometer-based Expression Pedal connected to a microprocessor that converts the potentiometer values into MIDI CC values, and then sends them to an effect unit to control effects in the same way that a directly connected expression pedal would.
Remote Control
Remote control is a means for controlling one or more devices using a separate device (remote controller) that is remotely located. Remote control requires that the devices being controlled have a means for receiving, understanding, and executing the control signals from the remote controller. In today's market for consumer electronics, a remote control feature—specifically wireless remote control is standard for all manner of audio and video products, including PC-based platforms. Remote control is also a common, if not standard, feature on other consumer goods, from ceiling fans to children's toys.
A remote controller is a device that emulates the control features of one or more other devices, such that an operator can control the other device(s) from a remote location.
A wireless remote controller is a remote controller that does not require any physical connection between it and any other device. It typically operates using radio frequency (RF) or infrared radiation (IR), and requires that the devices being controlled have a compatible receive mechanism. Other types of emanations, including ultrasound, may also be used.
Known Ideas for Providing Remote Control of Audio Effects Devices
Some related art teaches modifications to the instrument such as an on-guitar tilt sensor or digital compass (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,861,582 and U.S. Patent Application No. 20030196542). These teachings suffer from a lack of sensitivity, require modification of the pre-owned instrument, and require body gyrations that limit the expressiveness and can interfere with playing technique.
Other related art (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,245,128 and 5,700,966) teach guitar mounted switches, which are limited to the on/off control of effects and are not easily and seamlessly integrated into playing technique.
Other related art teaches the application of sensor electronics to a pick (pluckstrum) to detect the bending of the pick or contact of the pick with a string on the musical instrument. Examples are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,300,730 and 4,235,144. These teachings likely suffer from implementation difficulties relating to size and difficulty of maintaining the desired grip and exposure of the pick to the strings as required by the playing technique.
Other related art (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,503,746, 5,561,257 and 5,478,969) teach the application of pressure sensors to a guitar strap such that tugging on the strap generates effect control signals. These teachings suffer from a lack of sensitivity and require body gyrations that limit the expressiveness and can interfere with playing technique.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,394 teaches the detection of finger bending using a light emitter/detector means. This teaching suffers from implementation issues relating to the power requirements of such sensors and the impact on the portability of the device.
U.S. Patent Application No. 20020005108 teaches the use of at least one data array in combination with pattern recognition to detect gestures for the control of effects. This teaching suffers from implementation issues relating to the processing requirements and delays associated with pattern recognition.
A need exists for improvements over the above discussed art, to provide wireless remote control for devices such as conventional audio effects devices or the like, wherein such a remote control which supports expressive and nuanced remote control operation by the operator. Attendant needs exist for methods, systems and system elements for providing such control.